MDF Vs. Solid Wood: Which Material Is Best For Painted Cabinets?

When you're redoing your kitchen, you have several common kitchen cabinet finishes to consider. White painted cabinets surged in popularity in the 2000s and 2010s, and, while stained cabinets are making a comeback, paint is still preferred by many homeowners. If you're one of them, you have an important decision to make when buying new cabinetry. Do you go with MDF or solid wood if you know you're going to paint your cabinets? Both materials offer their own unique pros and cons.

Solid wood cabinetry earns points for its attractive grain patterns, which makes it a popular choice for stained kitchen cabinets. However, the grain beauty doesn't matter when you're painting. Wood is a durable cabinet material that resists damage well, making it a long-lasting option. When you install wood cabinets, you may hold on to their value longer than you would with MDF, which often depreciates quickly.

If you're painting solid wood, there are several potential issues. The paint may crack at the joints due to the natural expansion of the wood. The pieces of wood on the door panel could come from different trees, so they won't all have the same moisture content and could thicken or shrink at different rates. You might notice subtle lines between the pieces. If the door panel has a high water content, it could shrink over time, leaving an exposed area near the frame that isn't painted. The textured grain pattern on wood often makes it more difficult to get a smooth paint finish.

Let's look at the pros and cons of putting MDF cabinets in your home when you want a painted look. To many people, solid wood is superior, but MDF offers several strengths, especially for painted cabinetry. Perhaps its greatest strength is that it doesn't expand and contract like solid wood does. That means you don't have to worry about cracks or lines in the paint. Since the paint forms a smooth, opaque surface on the cabinets, you can't tell if they're made of underneath. It's also a more affordable material than real wood, which can be helpful if you're trying to save money when renovating your kitchen.

MDF is made from wood fibers pressed together with other materials to form sheets. When it's finished, MDF doesn't have grain detailing and offers a consistent outer layer, which offers a smooth surface for paint. Starting with a smooth surface makes it easier to get an even paint finish.

However, MDF doesn't hold up well around water, which could make the cabinets near your sink susceptible to damage. Repeated exposure to water may eventually cause blistering on the MDF. You can resolve that issue by using solid wood for doors under your sink and MDF for the rest if you prefer it. Another potential issue is the availability of MDF in all designs. Every cabinet company is different. Some brands might offer all cabinet door styles in both solid wood and MDF. Others might limit the options for MDF, so you might not be able to get the specific door design you want.